Portable media players are increasing in popularity. A portable media player is a transportable device that plays one or more media file types, including text, audio, video, graphics, animation, images, interactive, and other media file types.
A variety of pieces of media can be stored on or accessed by a portable media player. One or more pieces of media may be added to the media player over time. Media may be added to the media player manually by the user, such as by copying a CD of music to the media player or downloading media from a content site accessible over a network such as the Internet. Media may be also be added to the media player automatically, such as when media is downloaded by a network site or service according to a user's subscription. Media may be accessed on the portable media player in a variety of ways. For example, a network site or service may maintain a library or catalog of media that is accessible to a user. Media may be accessed by the user from the network site or service either manually or automatically. For example, a user may request that a piece of media be streamed to the user's media player. As another example, a network site or service may automatically stream a piece of media to a user's media player. With all of the media that can be added to or accessed by a portable media player, it can often be difficult for a user to keep track of which pieces of media are the newest additions to the media player.
In addition to media added to or accessed by a portable media player, the software that runs on a portable media player may periodically be updated by the manufacturer and downloaded, either manually or automatically, to the media player. A software update may offer new functionality, features, or other items to the media player. A user may wish to see a new functionality, feature, or other item added to the media player as a result of the software update.
One skilled in the art will appreciate that the contents and capabilities of a portable media player may change over time, in these and other ways. A method for calling the user's attention to content or capabilities, whether a piece of media, menu option, functionality, feature, or other item, on a portable media player would therefore be desirable.